My name is Dan Odell and I'll be your guide on our field
trips to study the dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon on the east coast of Florida. I'm a
research biologist for Sea World in Orlando, Florida.
My job is to oversee the scientific research and publishing activities of all four of the
Sea World parks. My research topics include the
biology and ecology of bottlenose dolphins,
dwarf and pygmy sperm whales, and the Florida manatee.
I'm also acting director of Research for the Hubbs-Sea
World Research Institute here in Florida, and I'm the
scientific coordinator for the Southeastern United
States Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of central New
York. While in high school I worked on a farm in the
summer and did lots of fishing, hunting, and trapping.
We lived on a lake and my father operated a small marina.
I spent a lot of time helping him to repair outboard
engines.

During college I majored in wildlife biology and I spent
my summers working as a biological aide for the U.S.
government on the Pribilof Islands in Alaska. I collected
data on the northern fur seals that came to the islands
to breed. It was quite a culture shock when I flew
from the tundra of the Pribilof Islands to graduate
school and the freeways, smog, and palm trees of Los
Angeles!

After graduate school I took a faculty position at the
University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and
Atmospheric Science. I became involved in the Marine
Mammal Stranding Network and started studying manatee
biology. I also began to collaborate with people from
Sea World in Orlando, Florida, on marine mammal study
projects. In 1986 I joined the staff at Sea World.
Certainly one of the highlights of my current job was
being present when a killer-whale calf was born.

My wife, Terry, and I have three children who are all
studying science. Jason is now in the doctoral program
in biology at the University of California at Riverside.
Jessica is studying biology at Eckerd College in St.
Petersburg, Florida, and is writing her senior thesis
on dolphin behavior. Nicole is studying chemistry at
Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. I'm
glad my love of biology has been passed on to my kids.
This spring will be very busy for me between travel,
graduations, and dolphin field trips!

I have answered many questions about dolphins from students. Read my interview and learn.